Mastery

Have you ever considered yourself a "master" of something? I think often times people joke about being a master but deep down, they probably don't consider themselves one. So what makes you a master? Or a master over business?

The definition of mastery, in my eyes, is the fact that even though you may have a good thing going, that you never stop trying. Never stop progressing, and most importantly never stop working to become the best that you can be.

Countless times there are stories of people who failed over and over again but they kept trying. They continually put their best foot forward and tried over and over again. It's not easy and I don't think that anyone will ever claim for it to be but the outcome is so worth it.

Can we all be masters? Yes. But will we? Maybe. Don't stop trying to improve just because you have reached a great goal. There is no progression in our lives without the constant push to become better. 

Entrepreneurship and Family Life: The Ultimate Balancing Act

Careers and family life are two things that when discussed as parts of our lives, have to co-mingle. There flat out, isn’t a way to leave the two separate. When you talk about your career, you are also probably talking about your livelihood- your mean of providing for your family. People do things that they love, but they are generally making money at the same time to help support either themselves or a family if they have one. In this religion, family is important and odds are you have one. Do you want to spend your entire life at work? No. I don’t care how passionate a person is about a project or a piece of their life, a break is needed.

                Now, in the video section from Standford, the professor discussed how rules have to be made. He even gave a reference to where you could find those rules. I loved that idea. Life isn’t complete without rules and according to him, rules are necessary to maintain family life and work life. I also loved that he pointed out that if you are single and are choosing to do a start-up project, stay single. That may come off harsh but it’s so true! I have never completed a start-up project obviously but I have heard of people who have lost their families or relationships over them. It’s too much stress to put on people- especially those you love. Who wants to constantly be put off for work? I know I don’t. It gets old and that’s why people walk. Think about where you are in your life. Is now a good time? Would this project be better suited for a team of people who could help you rather than doing it alone? What rules will you make? Is dinner important to you or your loved one? These questions have to be asked and honestly evaluated.

                The final thing that I want to touch on is balance. Not only balance between work and family but balance between work and God. God placed us upon this earth and without Him, we are nothing. I love that concept; that we will always need His help and His guidance regardless of the journey that we choose to take.  Jan Newman pointed out that we are never too busy to turn down a calling. We are never too busy to say no to the Lord and if we are, reevaluate and take something out.  It blows my mind at times that people could turn down those blessings for other worldly things. When we become too busy for God, we are too busy. Don’t ever forget who gave us everything and how he relates to our business careers and aspirations. 

Your dreams and Reality

When reading the article about the greeting card line, it lit a fire within me. That sounds cheesy,  I know but to be honest, it’s true. Erica Mills had a passion; a talent; one that started when she was much younger than when she actually achieved that goal. She worked many different jobs and didn’t actually get a degree in what she ended up pursuing. Ironic? I really don’t think it is! This is my point this week. Do you have a dream? Yes. How many times have I said to chase it? Multiple. Do I mean this very second? Today? No. Why not? Because. There are often so many steps to getting there. I don’t think that starting a business, chasing THAT dream requires that you do it straight out of college. Do some choose to do that? Yes, and that is great! However; I think that often times we have to do multiple different things. Find something we enjoy but maybe not something that is our passion and focus your life and energy on that for a while.

                I’m obviously not an expert on this subject, which was probably a given when you found out that I’m only a junior in an undergrad program. I’m just another student trying to find their way. However; I do think I’ve figured a few things out. Very rarely do people who start a business straight out of college, without any prior experience find success. That’s a sad thought to have but it’s true. Just as Erica had to go do something else and start slow, we do too! There’s always that thought that we need to go big or go home but here’s some news. Go too big and you will go home. Chances are broke and heart broken. We have dreams, yes. But when those dreams come into our lives, consider the realistic view of them all.  

                As long as I have this blog I will most likely always preach- “Chase Your Dreams” “Be Proud of Your Successes” and this post isn’t to say you can’t do that but sometimes that dose of reality is hard to swallow. Don’t let it get in your way but don’t let it blind you of what the future truly holds. 

Happiness, Careers, Entrepreneurship and the Ultimate Match Up

       

Just like any other career, you have to put your whole heart into it. What will you make of yourself? It’s hard to know where we will go or what will become of us but I can guarantee that if you don’t find something that you love to do and that you are good at, what you consider success in this life will be difficult to find. This week, much of the focus was on finding something that you love, something you excel at, and something that you can be paid to do. After combining those things, the focus was placed on making smarter choices and not necessarily working longer hours. When you find something that matches all of those things, I firmly believe that the outcome will be extraordinary.

      Following this lesson, I also came to realize that what might meet those objectives now, may not meet them later in your life. We all change. Life changes who we are and what makes us happy and it’s so important to pay attention to those things. If you aren't happy now, find something that does make you happy! This life is incredibly short; too short to spend any length of time unhappy. Chase those dreams but while chasing them, remember who you are and why you started chasing them to begin with. I have seen so many people that are doing a certain degree because that’s what their family wants or because it makes more money but this week, we learned that even if you are making tons of money, if you aren't finding fulfillment in those areas, you still are going to be missing something. Money is important but your happiness is more important. Never forget that. 

Ethics and Business Risks

The business world is often described as a dog-eat-dog world. It's a scary place out there. So much competition and drive. So many dreams trying to be achieved. Among all of those different aspects, what would you say is the most important thing to achieve in this process? ETHICS! The big E word. I would definitely say you could base everything (okay almost everything) off of ethics. Start from the bottom up. Work your way to the top and do it honestly and ethically. It may be harder than doing it the other way but it will be so worth it in the end. 

Back in High School I worked for a company where everything- paperwork wise, was all falsified. When I first became a manager, I was so scared to sign reports at night saying I had completed certain tasks because eventually, I knew things were going to fall apart but those reports stated otherwise. I left to attend college, corporate came in and ultimately found out what had been going on. Employees were let go and other plans were put into place. How hard is it to not sign a piece of paper if what you are claiming is untrue? Not very hard. It cost people their jobs. I look back at that often and wonder what would have came of me had I not been around. Ethics is always the way to go, whether it takes longer, costs more, it's work it in the end. 

Among other things discussed this week, was business risks. This is a hard one especially for those just getting on their feet. You finally have the financing for your business but you need just a little bit more. Do you go back and ask for another loan or do you invest your own money? You invest your own. If you aren't willing to put your personal money in, then maybe it isn't a good investment to begin with. People are stingy with their own money. Not so much with others but more than not, you don't want to throw away your own hard earned money. Look at the outcomes, look at the investments and decide if this is a good enough venture for not only the banks money but your own. 

Business is about tactics but I also think it's about heart. You have to use your brain but sometimes it is essential to use your heart also. 

The future of me

Going through the course materials, I think it is probably at the back of most student's minds; at least mine, is how little can I do and still pass. Going through these activities I chose to look deeper within myself and find what I can take from this course. Creating the bucket list of 50 things to do before I die, changed my outlook on where I am going and what I am doing. Are you chasing your dreams? I challenge you to create a list. Not just a cliche list of the things everyone wants to do but dig deep. Find your passion. Find your love and figure out how you're going to achieve that. 

Randy Pausch chased his dreams. From a very young age of going to DisneyLand. Ultimately, he was fascinated by what was there but instead of saying "hey this is fun" he instead said "I want to create this". That's where it began with him and that's where it begins with each and everyone of us. You have a dream? Chase it. Don't sit by and let someone else achieve it or beat you to it. You want it, go get it! And how bad do you want that dream? There in lies the success in my eyes. I often thought of being a doctor. Helping save lives. Did I do that? No. Why? Because I wasn't willing to take that kind of schooling to get there. Is your dream worth chasing? ABSOLUTELY. But will you? That answer is in your hands and your feet. I never knew that I could be so passionate about something until I looked at these people that ultimately changed their own lives because they had a dream. 

What is Entrepreneurship?

Week one into an Entrepreneurship and I must say I'm impressed. Want to be an entrepreneur? I would definitely say even after the first week, that this option maybe isn't for everyone but you never know until you try. Chase your dreams. I realized that you have to be willing to work for what you want. Especially in this field of study. No it's not for everyone but if you are willing to put in the time and effort, you can be successful. You may not be successful the first time or even the 1000 time but eventually, you are going to get it. Don't be afraid to go after what you want. More than that, when the first 49 times don't work, be willing to give it a shot for the fiftieth time and see what you end up with. It might be failure but more than that it could be success.